A Hunter's Choice
by Dreaming June
Summary: A vampire hunter who despises vampires finds her soulmate and must make a choice that will change the rest of her life. Please read and review. Night World.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I've had some trouble continuing my first fic (inspirational kinda trouble). I'll update on that soon, hopefully. All concepts about the Night World belong to L.J. Smith and not me, this is making zero profit, etc. Hopefully you guys will enjoy it, I'm intending on making it a short one, but I might write a sequel if interest picks up. Thanks.

Chapter 1

Lyra Byrne. No, she wasn't a vampire, not a lamia or a made vampire. She wasn't a witch, she couldn't control energy that wasn't her own. She couldn't change into something else, she wasn't a shapeshifter or a werewolf. Lyra Byrne was just human. Physically, anyways.

Lyra Byrne was a vampire hunter. She worked with Circle Daybreak, only because she knew that killing vampires on the streets by herself was useless. She knew that having this organisation behind her would help her eliminate as many leeches as possible. Deep down, Lyra despised everything Circle Daybreak was about. She didn't think that the Night World and the Human World should be united harmony. She wanted all vampires dead. They were disgusting and vile and she would spend the rest of her life killing them if it meant that a small percentage of vampires would be dead.

Lyra's mother was a vampire hunter. She had taught her daughter everything she needed to know about hunting, tracking and killing vampires. Lyra found that it wasn't as hard as television and movies made it out to be. When you were armed properly and you knew where to go and what to do, vampires were an easy kill.

And Lyra was good at it. This was what she was born and made to do. She wasn't afraid like all the other hunters. They always covered their faces, wearing masks or scarves, but Lyra did even bother. Because she knew as soon as a vampire saw her face, it would die within the next ten minutes. Fifteen if she was in the mood for a long, drawn battle. Either that or be taken by Circle Daybreak for interrogation.

Lyra was of average height. Being short gave you less of a range, and being tall was a disadvantage in balance. Lyra was slender, her muscles toned and taught from all the training and practice she had gone through ever since she was twelve. Her long silky blonde hair was always tied up in a knot, just to keep it out of her blue eyes when she was fighting.

Her eyes were large, not out of proportion with her other features, but they were very open, always observing. Almond shaped and a colour that changed in the light. Sometimes they were a blue-grey colour, sometimes they were blue-green.

"Byrne." A cool male voice hissed. Lyra looked up from her hiding place. The voice came from a person standing on roof of the building next door to the nightclub they were scouting. He was nineteen, around her height, if not slightly taller, and a very light, compact body. His black hair was hidden underneath a woollen cap made from shapeshifters fleece and his black eyes stared down at the alley Lyra was hiding in. He was Bram Mallard, a raven shapeshifter and a valuable member of Lyra's team.

When Lyra joined Circle Daybreak, she excelled quickly and soon was able to create her own team for her own cause, as long as her cause was kept within Circle Daybreak's cause.

"You've got company." Bram said so quietly that Lyra could just hear it before it was swept into the winds. Lyra hardened her muscles, staying extra alert and watching the street. And she saw them.

Three vampires. They were made, that was easy enough to spot. Not just vampires, though, there was a human girl among them. She was being hassled. Lyra leapt out from her hiding spot. As she landed on the hard, wet concrete, a wooden blade slid from underneath her jacket sleeve and into her hand.

All three vampires looked up at her. A blonde vampire, the one who was holding the girl, narrowed his inhuman yellow eyes and ignored her. The other two howled in laughter. They recognised her as a human, but not as a hunter. You see, Lyra looked like any other human girl. She was dressed in a pair of tight, black jeans and a grey, midriff singlet underneath a leather waist jacket.

She looked like a normal girl who was out for a party. But she wasn't. One of the vampires moved forward, as if to grab her. Lyra, keeping the wooden blade hidden in the dark alley, stayed perfectly still. The two vampires began circling her, like the predators of the jungle.

They were so arrogant, so cocky, that they didn't even realise until after she moved that she was attacking. She lunged for the first one, driving the wooden blade straight into his chest. The first one was always easy, because they were off guard.

There was a cry of pain from the blonde vampire and Lyra turned slightly to see that Bram had jumped off the roof and sliced at him with a wooden spike. Lyra could also see another figure in the dark alleyway. She knew that it was Lena Allard from the glowing magical energy at her fingertips. As planned, Bram took out the vampire as Lena helped the girl to safety.

That left the last vampire to Lyra. He charged towards her but she dodged his swings. Every punch and kick he made met only with air as she dodged and stepped back. Finally, she grabbed his arm and flexed her wrist. Immediately, a set of wooden handcuffs slipped out of her sleeve with a distinctive _click_.

Quick as lightning and faster than any human could have moved, Lyra snapped the handcuffs around the vampire's right wrist. She twisted him around, kicked him in the back of the knees to bring him to the ground and caught his left wrist in the handcuffs.

"Done?" Bram asked. Lyra turned her head over her shoulder and gave a sharp nod. In the alleyway now was Lyra, as clean as she was to begin, Bram, covered in blood that might have been his and might have been the vampires, two dead vampire corpses that resembled mummies, and a vampire bound and silent.

Lena had taken the girl to the closest safe house and was probably working some soothing spells and given her a memory tincture to remove any psychological damage that had been inflicted from the fight.

It was like any other night. Every time Lyra's team went out on a scout, they were always to bring home a prisoner, for questioning. Lyra kept her eye on the bound vampire as Bram pulled out his cell phone and called the Las Vegas headquarters. He called for a team to pick up the live vampire and a team to clean up the two mummies.

"All finished, Byrne." Bram said as he hung up. "Time to head off home. I'll stay back to supervise the clean up."

"You sure?" Lyra looked up at him.

"Yeah." Bram nodded. "You've been out doing this all week, you need some sleep."

"Are we meeting back tomorrow night?" Lyra asked.

"Yes. Same time, same place."

Lyra nodded, gave something that might have been a smile but was most probably just a 'goodbye gesture' because Lyra rarely smiled, and left the alleyway.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Here's the second instalment. The Night World belongs solely to LJ Smith and I am making no profits from this fanfic. Thanks to the reviewers, you guys make writing possible. Hope you guys enjoy this one.

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Chapter 2

The next night, the moon was high. As soon as the sun had gone down, Aspen Redfern had left for the Black Iris. It was party time. But before he entered the club, he realised that he needed to feed…

* * *

Lyra Byrne was in a good mood tonight. She had already staked three vampires and the night was still young. Wiping her wooden katana blade on an old handkerchief, Lyra looked up when she heard footsteps. Leaping backwards and flattening her back against the wall of the alley, Lyra stopped breathing and watched.

And then she saw him. Good looking, but they were always good looking. Tousled dark hair and alarming silvery green eyes. He walked lazily into the alleyway.

"Hello." He went straight to Lyra's hiding place and smiled at her. Lyra stepped forward, gripping her katana tightly. But faster than even Lyra could comprehend, the vampire took the katana blade from her hands, snapped it in half and tossed it across to the other side of the alleyway.

Lyra was paralysed. She knew what she was supposed to do now. She should have stepped away as fast as she could, pull out another sharp, wooden implement and fought with the vampire. But she couldn't do it.

Without another coherent thought, Lyra was pushed up against the cold, wet wall and she felt a sharp pain spasm from her neck as two sharp and delicate fangs pierced her throat.

And then the pain was gone. The world was gone. It was swept away when he touched her skin and all of a sudden they weren't in the alley anymore. This shouldn't be happening. But then, none of it mattered. Not the fight, nor the war. Nothing mattered, it was just her and him.

_Aspen Redfern…. _

_What are you doing to me?_ It was his voice. No, not his voice, it was just…_him_.

_Nothing…it's not me…please stop this_. Lyra felt so weak and helpless. It made her angry. But soon everything had gone black.

* * *

Aspen had almost completely drained her. He couldn't help it, he was starving. The bloodlust had been too strong. It wasn't until he finished that he realised what their exchange had been. His cousins had told him about the soulmate principle. Of course, he didn't believe it then. But now he did. Because he saw her, he touched her and then he fell in love with her.

But it wasn't too late. He hadn't killed her. He could save her. Opening up her jacket, he found a wooden blade. Removing it from her pocket, Aspen slit his wrist and pressed it to her lips.

She was unconscious; she had fainted from the blood loss. But her lips parted and his magical blood trickled into her body.

He had so save her. He would never forgive himself if he killed her. He didn't even know her name. She had been so closed off from him. All he could feel was a vast emptiness. She didn't want a soulmate. What scared him more was that she didn't need one.

After what seemed like hours, Aspen pulled his wrist away and prepared to pick her up. He knew that usually it took more than one exchange to make a vampire. But that was only because there needed to be a certain amount of blood exchanged. And exchanging all that blood in one go would prove unsafe for him. But he didn't care. He had taken too much blood from her and he needed to replace it.

"Redfern!" Aspen grimaced, standing up and meeting with one of his lamia cousins. "Come on, we've been looking for you everywhere." Aspen couldn't go back to the girl, there was no way he could explain it. So he silently prayed that no one would find her and left to the Black Iris. He planned to come back in the morning to help her.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Thanks so much to heavenzdevil911 for the review (you truly do rock!!!!). Ahem. I don't own anything to do with the Night World, although the characters in this fic are kind of mine. Anyways, I write for fun, not for profit. Hope you guys enjoy this, please review.

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Chapter 3

At first she didn't realise what had happened the night before. Lyra Byrne awoke as if she had just awakened from a long, deep sleep. After a confused and dazed heartbeat, the memories of the night before flooded back. The vampire, the bite, the touch, the _connection_, and the warm, thick elixir that had been poured into her. The blood.

It wasn't the normal blood of a human, with its coppery and watery taste. It was that of a vampire's. Thick, magical and powerful. Lyra could still taste it on her lips as she sat up in the alleyway.

She turned her head to the left, surprised at how everything seemed to detailed to her. She could see everything, the small scratches in the brick walls, the graffiti that was spray painted in the alley, the splatters of dried blood on the ground. It was surreal. She could smell the blood, she could smell the people around her. So many humans. So much blood.

Licking her lips, Lyra stood up. Her was hungry. No, she was thirsty. It wasn't a normal thirst, she didn't need water. She needed something else. Something much more sustaining. She needed to eat … something. Soon.

As she made her away down the alley to get to the street, Lyra suddenly halted. She wasn't just thirsty, but she couldn't breathe. Well, she could breathe, oxygen passed through her passages and into her lungs, and left again. But it didn't feel as … fulfilling. Sort of empty, pointless rather.

And then it struck her. She'd read about it so many times, she'd seen it in newly made vampires at Circle Daybreak, she'd heard the description of these sensations so many times. Lyra Byrne was a vampire.

Two emotions roared in her ears as soon as those words crossed her mind. Confusion. Anger. But anger mostly. She was going to hunt down the person who did this to her and make them pay. Dearly. Ever since she was born, maybe before that even, she had hated vampires. They were disgusting, vile, evil. People kept saying that they were natural, a part of the food chain. That humans rejected the idea of them because they were afraid of having a species higher than them on the food chain. That they couldn't handle being seen as an animal, as a resource. But it wasn't true. Vampires were unnatural.

Lyra didn't have a problem with the entire Night World. She knew that witches were naturally born, that they had existed for as long as the humans, maybe even longer. That shapeshifters, as foul as some of them were, were also natural. That they came into existence before even the humans. But vampires? No, they were completely unnatural. The first vampire ever had been born a witch. Maya, she was born a natural being but she cursed herself by performing a rite that would bring evil into the world. And that…that was unnatural.

The anger bubbled inside of Lyra. It stung her eyes and made her strong. But at the moment she wasn't strong. She was weak. She was exhausted and she was hungry. She needed to eat. No, she needed to feed. Now.

Every expert vampire hunter always had a plan of action. And her plan now was to go to Circle Daybreak and explain everything to them. Maybe a donor would volunteer, or maybe she could find an animal to feed on. But as soon as she left the shadowed alleyway, she was hit by the hot, searing sunlight. That made her even weaker and she hated herself at that moment. Not only was she an unnatural creature of the Night, but she was also weak. The one thing Lyra hated even more than vampires was weakness. Only because vampires could be killed, and weakness could not.

Her throat was dry and her body felt empty. She could barely breathe ... then, she spotted a girl. She looked around the same age as Lyra. Just a normal human girl. And alone. Instantly, before Lyra could even think, she grabbed the girl, dragged her into the alley way and did the one thing that seemed so natural to her. She held the girl down with one hand and pulled her head to the side with her other hand, exposing the girl's soft throat.

Not a second was missed as Lyra bit down into the girl's throat. Her teeth were already lengthened and pierced sharply into the soft, pretty flesh. Blood welled out and Lyra drank. She drank until magic and strength coursed through her body, through her veins.

And with that strength, came oxygen. Oxygen that was trapped in her blood. Oxygen that travelled to her brain and she could finally think straight. It wasn't until the girl was completely dry that Lyra realised what she had done. She stepped back, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. The girl, pale and dead, dropped to the ground like a broken, white rose.

For a long time, expletives were screamed in her mind. Words that didn't solve the situation, but expressed purely what she felt. Anger, shame, but mostly anger. The anger rushed through her body, her veins, and travelled up to her head. The one thing she wanted to do now was hunt down the vampire that did this to her and torture him and then stake him, slowly. Fortunately, Lyra was smarter than that. She had to report back to Circle Daybreak. Lyra took one last glance at the girl without really taking in any of her features, and left. She ran and did not stop running, until a strange scent wafted to her sensitive nose. It was the scent of another hunter. Of another vampire. Lyra followed that scent.

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Author's Note: Just another reminder. REVIEW!!!!!!!! please 


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: Here's the next chapter. This story just writes itself, fun fun. Hope you guys enjoy it and don't forget to review. Plus: L.J. Smith owns all concepts connected to the Night World. This is just a shadow of her creative genius.

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Chapter 4

It wasn't just one vampire. It was a gang. Five, maybe six. Strange, Lyra thought, they should have been asleep. Vampires hated the sunlight, and so, now, did Lyra. But they weren't asleep. They were inside a bookshop, causing chaos. They pushed over heavy metal bookshelves with no effort at all. Metal clanged on metal, books scattered everywhere, flooding the entrance and ensuring that none of the customers could leave. And then the vampires could feed.

The anger that was already burning inside of her rushed to the surface as Lyra ran into the bookstore. In fact, there were seven of them. Four males, three females. Now that she was a vampire, Lyra was faster and stronger. She calculated quickly as to who she would attack first. Grabbing a dark skinned male vampire that was closest to her, Lyra stopped him just before he was about to bite into the bookstore owner. Pulling him off of the cowering middle aged man, Lyra threw him across the room.

"Get out of here!" Lyra growled at the terrified human. She turned to the dark vampire, who was charged towards her. Then she realised that she didn't have a weapon. Not enough time to think of that though. Lyra dodged sharply as the male vampire punched at her. Returning a hit that seemed much like a boxer's punch, Lyra's fist contacted with the vampire's jaw and she heard a very audible crack.

Turning around, Lyra grabbed a pencil. Terribly cliché and not at all the kind of weapon she was used to, Lyra used it anyway. She gave a high kick to the vampire's chest and he fell to the ground. With a foot on the floor next to him and her other foot pressing heavily on his shoulder to keep him on the ground, Lyra threw the pencil like a dart. It sped down with the force of her strength and the force of gravity and skewered the vampire like a hot knife through butter. He cried in pain and began shrivelling up. The classic mummified corpse of a dead vampire was all that was left.

Stepping off of it, Lyra was suddenly hurtled back. A strong body knocked her to the ground and now they were both on the floor. It was another male vampire. A blonde with strange silver eyes. Lyra threw an open hand to his throat, her fingertips flexed so that her fingernails scratched at the vampire's flesh and drew blood, and leaned against him as she threw herself into an upright position. Out of habit, she flexed her wrist and to her surprise, out came her favourite wooden kunai. It looked like a large, elongated arrowhead that was the size of her hand outstretched. From the wooden triangular point was an iron handle that Lyra now gripped her fist around.

Grinning, Lyra leapt forward, landing a reverse roundhouse kick to the vampire's head with a solid _thwack_. As the vampire shook himself out of his daze, Lyra pushed her kunai out in a strong thrust and the wooden point pierce the vampire's chest. Another mummy curled up onto the floor. Lyra leapt over the rows of fallen bookshelves and scattered books. Immediately, she used the kunai the slice at the back of the neck of a female vampire, who was busying herself with a young man's neck.

The female vamp hissed, jumped up into a offensive position before attacking Lyra. Landing in a few good punches and kicks, the female vampire smiled smugly as Lyra stumbled back.

Lyra stabilized herself, sweeping at the vampire's ankles, who tripped at the impact of Lyra's legs knocking her over. While still at the same level and in the motion of the drop sweep, Lyra stabbed the kunai quickly into the vampire's chest. While coming up from the drop sweep, Lyra spun around. The female whimpered as the wooden splinters poisoned her body and turned her beautiful, eternally youthful body into an ancient mummy.

_Three down, four to go_. The next two were easy. Both came at her and both were brought down by a single butterfly kick and two quick shots of kunai wood to the chest.

By now, most of the humans had fled the bookstore. Some of them were still stuck with the remaining two vampires. Sneaking up to the last female vampire with silently, Lyra used a length of bark twine, that she always kept wrapped around her wrist, to slice off the vampire's head without so much as a sound made. The only noise emitted from the attack was the dropping of a mummified head separate from its mummified body.

_Lucky last_. Lyra was attacked this time. A heavy male body dropped down on her from atop a wooden bookshelf. Struggling to squirm away from underneath the strong mass on top of her, Lyra failed to escape. The vampire broke her wrist when he grabbed the kunai from her hand and tossed it across the store.

A sharp pain shot through her wrist and up her arm, but amazingly, the pain subsided quickly and her body begin to heal the broken bones. Lyra twisted onto her back and with all her strength, kicked the vampire in the chest with both feet. He stumbled back as Lyra brought herself up on her feet in a single, fluid motion.

Now she was out of weapons, but not out of options. Dodging and evading his kicks and punches, Lyra manoeuvred herself subtly so that she was standing next to the wooden bookshelf and the vampire was standing behind it. Pressing against it slightly, Lyra pushed the bookshelf over, flattening the vampire.

She heard vague sounds of police sirens and ran to the other side of the store. Finding her wooden kunai and strapping it back onto the inside of her jacket sleeve, Lyra rushed to the back door and ran with all her might until she got to a secluded area. She hailed down a cab and ordered the driver to Las Vegas' Circle Daybreak headquarters: Thierry Descouedres' mansion.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: First off, I must apologise for my previous chapter, not something I'm very proud of. I'm not really great at writing that kind of scene. Anyways, this is another attempt to carry on with the plot. Hope you guys enjoy it.

Oh, thanks to 'c' for your review. Totally true, my writing isn't perfect and I'm working on it. Hopefully you'll keep reviewing and keeping me on my toes :P

And, L.J. Smith owns the Night World, this is only a fanfic, and in no way do I claim ownership to her original concepts or characters.

Read on and please review, thanks.

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Chapter 5

"Lyra?"

"Hi, Lena." Lyra smiled grimly as she entered the mansion. Thierry's mansion. It was huge, and immensely extravagant. Not Lyra's sort of place, but it suited Thierry just fine.

"What happened to you?" Lena asked with wide amber eyes filled with relief as she allowed Lyra to enter into the foyer.

"I was attacked." Lyra said bitterly.

"Oh Goddess." A cold realization hit Lena's eyes and Lyra felt an odd shame. She knew. Lena knew that Lyra was now a vampire. "I'm so sorry. We didn't find you. We figured that you were in the mood for some solo hunting. I mean, it's not the first time you've left us alone."

"I know." Lyra said. "I'm sorry."

"Byrne." Bram entered. And he knew instantly. As soon as his dark eyes glanced at Lyra, he knew. "Who was it?" He asked coldly, knowing exactly what Lyra wanted. He had known her the longest; since they were children. In fact, Bram was the person who had introduced Lyra to Circle Daybreak. Before that, Lyra had hunted by herself.

"A Redfern." Lyra said immediately. And then she remembered the name. _Aspen Redfern_. The connection, too. That strange feeling of fulfilment and the inevitable sensation of being strapped together forever. Lyra almost wretched when she thought about having any sort of connection with such a vampire.

"First we go see Thierry." Bram said. Bram was always the practical one, and most of the time, he was the leader. He knew the system inside out and he was the best.

Lyra nodded and walked down the hall and stood outside of Thierry's office. Something inside her made her halt. Her heart beat too quickly, showering her vision with pinpricks of light. Blinking heavily and shaking her head, Lyra cleared her mind and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Both Thierry Descouedres and Lady Hannah were sitting there. Both looked up in concern.

"Lyra, are you okay?" Hannah stood up immediately. "You're bleeding."

"Oh." Lyra looked down at herself. There were splatters of blood dried onto her jeans, but also smudges of blood on her hands. "It's not mine."

"Bram and Lena reported this morning." Thierry spoke with the authority of a Night World Elder and the leader of Circle Daybreak. "They said you never showed up to the meeting place."

"I was attacked." Lyra pressed her lips together. Her movements were stiff. She always showed respect to Thierry and Hannah, but she still hated vampires. Respect did not always coincide with friendship. "By a Redfern. He turned me."

Thierry frowned in confusion. "Why?"

"I…" Lyra swallowed. "I'm not sure. Maybe he felt guilty for taking too much blood? What I do know is that I have to track him and kill him."

"No, absolutely not." Thierry shook his head. Lyra resisted the immense urge to roll her eyes. "There may be a reason as to why he turned you. It may be important."

Lyra sighed. "What do you want us to do about it?"

"Track him down and bring him in for questioning." Thierry said simply.

"And if he refuses?" Lyra asked.

"He won't refuse." Thierry smiled. "Just tell him that I sent you and that I need a word with him."

Lyra took in a deep breath, her lips set in a firm, straight line, and nodded. "You'll hear from me within the next twelve hours." And with just that, she left.

"What did he say?" Lena asked immediately as Lyra stalked out of the office.

Lyra didn't even stop. "Come with me." Lena and Bram shared a look but followed Lyra out of the mansion. The three left Thierry's property in one of Circle Daybreaks cars and made for Bram's house. Not just a normal home, it was also where their team regrouped and planned out attacks. Right now they were about to track down Aspen Redfern.

* * *

"So, how do we start?" Lena asked.

"First," Bram settled down on his couch, his dark eyes studying Lyra. "Lyra, you aren't telling us everything. You know our code, honesty is the key. We can't help you if we don't know everything."

Lyra nodded. "Aspen Redfern was the vampire who attacked me and turned me. He is also… well…he's my soulmate."

A long pause followed that single word. "Oh," Lena said softly. "So, are we not going after him then?"

"Of course we are." Lyra almost shrieked. "We're tracking him down. Thierry wants us to bring him in. I want to kill him."

"Lyra, he's your _soulmate_." Lena said, fear tracing her eyes. "You can't kill him."

"Watch me." Lyra responded automatically.

"You can't kill him." Bram said simply. "Thierry wants him brought in. We can't disobey orders."

"Then what do we do?" Lena asked.

"We do what we would usually do." Bram shrugged. "Take Lyra into the Black Iris and have her chat him up. Bring him into a secluded place, knock him out and 'cuff him. Or talk to him normally and tell him about Thierry."

"I don't know if I can do that." Lyra said. She was being weak again. She grimaced.

"Look, Lyra, you've given me information and I've worked out the best plan possible." Bram said kindly. "We either follow through with this or we find another plan."

"No, it's okay." Lyra sighed, standing up. "Let's get to work."

* * *

That night, Lyra was dressed like a vampire. Tight leather, provocative and uncomfortable. She found it hard to hide weapons in her costumes. But eventually latched a wooden blade inside her right jacket sleeve and attached the spike heels of her boots with wooden caps. Lyra wasn't used to fighting in heels, but if she had to she'd use them.

Bram had entered the club also, working as Lyra's backup. Lena stayed outside in the car, keeping her telepathic senses up and open to any sort of communication.

_Relax_, Lena sent to Lyra. The newly made vampire realised that she was tensing her muscles and was holding her breath. Relaxing, Lyra exhaled and scanned the club quickly.

Sure enough, there he was. Aspen Redfern was sitting at the bar, slightly separate from his friends. He looked like he was brooding. A female vampire waltzed up to him, swaying her hips and draped an arm around his shoulders. Aspen shrugged her hand off and moved away.

Lyra almost felt sorry for him. But she didn't. He was the monster that turned her into this disgusting creature. And he was going to pay.

_Lyra_. Lena's voice spoke in her mind, warning her. Right. Lyra stalked over to Aspen. Her walk wasn't as stable as it usually was, and she felt slightly clumsy in these heels.

"You." Aspen said, his silvery green eyes wide with shock. "Oh God, I tried to find you. You left before I got there!"

"I'm not here to discuss that." Lyra said, trying not to let the bitterness overtake her voice. "Tell me, have you heard of Thierry Descouedres?"

"Descouedres? The Elder?" Aspen raised his eyebrows. "Of course. You know about him?"

"He sent me." Lyra said. Aspen opened his mouth to speak but Lyra gestured sharply, silencing him. "He needs to speak to you."

"Why did a former human find out about Thierry Descouedres in a day?" Aspen demanded, moving closer to her. Lyra backed up.

"That doesn't matter. It doesn't concern you." Lyra shook her head.

"It does concern me." Aspen moved to kiss her. Lyra felt revolted, she pushed him back and wanted so desperately to pull out her weapon.

"Look, you have two choices. You either come back with me to Thierry willingly or I knock you out and cause you much pain the in process of taking you to him." Lyra hissed through clenched teeth.

"You can't knock me out, not here." He was right. Lyra hardened her gaze.

"Fine, I'll kill you." Lyra said. "I was ordered not to kill you but I will if you don't come with me. I don't care if half the club would come after me for killing a Redfern, I'll kill you and feel nothing but happiness for it."

"But…" Aspen softened immediately. "But don't you understand? We're soulmates. You can't kill me."

"That's a trivial opinion that doesn't affect me in any way." Lyra growled. "The soulmate principle is a myth and a weak one at that. Now, you have a choice to make. In thirty seconds, you are leaving this club. Whether that be willingly, forced or in a body bag, is up to you."

"Okay." Aspen said after a long pause. Aspen Redfern, Bram Mallard and Lyra Byrne left the Black Iris.

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And there you are. Please review. Constructive criticism is totally cool, as is ego stroking. But yeah, if you read it and either love it, hate it, want to burn it, please review.

Dreaming June


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: This is the last chapter of 'A Hunter's Choice', exactly the way it was planned. I really hope you guys enjoy it, and thank you so much for reviewing, all of you. PS: LJ Smith owns all concepts and locations and characters in the Night world, although the original characters are mine. Please review!!

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Chapter 6

Shoving Aspen Redfern into the Circle Daybreak car, Lyra slid in after him and slammed the door shut.

"Hit it, Lena." Lyra said. Lena nodded, her amber eyes flicking to Aspen for a second before driving away from the Black Iris.

"What exactly does Thierry want?" Aspen asked.

"You'll find out when you get there." Lyra said coldly. They drove for only five minutes before Aspen actually figured out that he was in trouble. _Not a very bright one_, Lyra thought as he sat there quietly.

But when he did realise it, Lyra knew immediately. His eyes grew wider, gazing at Lyra. Bram, who was sitting on his other side, gripped his hand tightly around a wooden blade. But he didn't move fast enough. In a flash, Aspen knocked the shapeshifter out with a single punch.

Before Lyra could reach him, Aspen climbed over Bram's unconscious body and opened the car door. He glanced at Lyra with an hurt look in his silvery green eyes just before he leapt out of the moving car.

" Lena, stop!" Lyra called out even as she heard the car swerving to a stop. Lyra leapt out the car and followed Aspen on foot. She could feel the cold, hard concrete underneath the leather soles of her boots as she pounded down the street and turned into an alley, chasing after Aspen.

"Why would you want to hurt me?" Aspen asked, regaining his composure. He stopped in the middle of the alley, turning around to face her. He looked strong and solid, not easily beaten.

"You are the evil that turned me into something that I've hated all my life." Lyra said bitterly. "Thierry only wanted to talk to you, ordering me not to harm you. But, as a regulation, if a captive attempts to escape and attacks, we're allowed to kill. You've given me that chance."

"But why would you want to hurt me? To kill me? You're my soulmate." Aspen cried, his voice becoming strained with emotions he had obviously never felt before. "I don't even know you're name. I have no idea who you are, but I know that we're meant to be together."

Lyra shook her head. Straightening her arm, she locked her elbow and released the wooden blade that was latched to her jacket sleeve. It slid smoothly into her hand and Lyra gripped it, swishing it in the air. "I would never allow myself to be with anyone who is a creature such as yourself. You disgust me. You've turned me into something that disgusts me. I feel like I should kill myself just because of the virus that is now in my blood."

"No. I _know_ that we're meant to be together. The only way for that to happen was if you were a vampire. And now you are. Ever since I saw you, I knew. You're all I could think about last night and this morning. I love you."

Lyra grimaced, a sick sensation churning in her stomach. She felt as if she were going to be sick. "That's disgusting. It's impossible. We aren't soulmates. You are the scum of the earth; a parasite that needs to be obliterated. That's my job." She then launched herself from her position and landed a kick to his face.

Aspen wasn't expecting it, but he was still a vampire. He recovered quickly and blocked her next few hits. He didn't want to hurt her, but he wouldn't allow her to defeat him either.

"You're emotions and you're guilt make you weak." Lyra spat, shoving him sharply against the brick wall behind him. She held the wooden blade up, pressing its sharp edge to his throat.

"You know what? I don't really think you would hurt me." Aspen said, a confident glint shone in his silver eyes. "I know in my heart that we're soulmates. I know that you felt what I felt the other night. And if we are really soulmates, then you can't hurt me. No matter how hard you try. You think of yourself as some strong vampire hunter obviously, that you can kill vampires without guilt. But, deep down, you couldn't hurt me."

Lyra laughed, never allowing her weapon to sway or her grip weaken. "You truly are crazy. If that's what you think then you really are going to die tonight."

Aspen shook his head. "Go on, try and kill me. You won't be able to do it."

Lyra shook her head. "Goodbye Aspen." And with that, she lowered the tip of her dagger from his throat to his chest. Her eyes wide and menacing, shining a deep blue in the moonlight, she plunged the wooden blade into his heart.

She didn't cry, she didn't falter. She felt nothing but victory as her soulmate's body dry and shrivel into a mummy. The connection of the soulmate principle snapped and Lyra felt a deep emptiness inside of her all of a sudden. Despite this void within her, Lyra did not mourn. She didn't love him, and she definitely didn't care for him. But then, why did she feel so empty?

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That's the end! I hope you guys enjoyed it. I'm considering writing a sequel with Lyra, but only if I get some feedback. If you guys like the idea of a sequel, please review or PM me, I've got some ideas that may hold up a good story. So, hopefully you guys liked this story, but if not, any constructive criticism would be totally welcomed. Thanks, and please review, Dreaming June. 


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